mightiswrong
08-10-2009, 02:30 PM
Local Food Production Initiative continues its educational activities
FAIRHOPE, Ala. — Ten years ago, Hardwick, a town of 8,000 people in Vermont, was in a state of economic decline.
Jim Allen, one of the founders of the Alabama Sustainable Agriculture Network, spoke to Fairhope residents last week about strategies for creating a “local, sustainable and just food system.” Photo courtesy of Local Food Production Initiative.
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The town’s fortunes began to change when several local farmers and others founded a nonprofit group to encourage development of an agriculture-based local economy, said Jim Allen, of the Alabama Sustainable Agriculture Network, who spoke last week to members of the Local Food Production Initiative, a Fairhope nonprofit organization.
“A local farmer changed from traditional farming to organic farming, then opened an organic seed company and encouraged other local farmers to switch to organic,” said Ed Lawrence, one of the founders of LFPI, about Allen’s remarks at the Sept. 28 meeting on the Vermont town’s economic turnaround. “The local farmers market became very successful, restaurants serving locally grown and processed food opened, and victory gardens were started.”
As a result of the emphasis on local food production and processing, household income levels increased, as did the number of jobs in the area, by 100, according to Allen. Conde Nast and Gourmet magazine described Hardwick as “The Town that Food Saved,” and called Hardwick the most important “food town” in America, Allen told the Fairhope group.
“His talk was about how growing more of our food locally could benefit our health, while at the same time increase the likelihood that our children, grandchildren and generations yet to come will enjoy a good quality of life as well,” Lawrence said. “And growing more of our food locally will also be a stimulus to our local economy.”
The Fairhope-based LFPI has worked the past year to educate its members and the public about such opportunities, which have included efforts to establish a community garden in the downtown area.
In addition to Hardwick, Allen pointed to other success stories, including Birmingham, with a community garden downtown and several other local sustainable agricultural initiatives.
“It is important to talk not only about local food production, but a local food system as well, such as the processing, marketing and consumption of local food,” Lawrence said. “Birmingham and many other communities have started Local Food Policy Councils, that is, nonprofit groups that work for change at the local, state and federal level to encourage policies that allow small local (and more organic) producers to compete more effectively with traditional agribusiness production, processing and distribution.”
In Fairhope, two new opportunities for purchasing locally grown food have started in the past week. The Windmill Market opened its doors this past weekend and the city-sponsored Fall Outdoor Market begins its Thursday farmers market behind the public library tomorrow. The city market will return weekly through Nov. 12. The private Windmill Market is open on weekends and features a variety of arts and crafts in addition to locally grown food.
In November, the ASAN will sponsor a “Food Summit” in Birmingham, featuring keynote speaker, Tom Stearns, one of the farmer-leaders who helped launch the effort to use local food production as a tool for economic development in Hardwick, Lawrence said.
ASAN is a network of farmers, consumers, and agriculture-related organizations, all committed to promoting sustainable agriculture in Alabama, according to the group’s Web site. For more information about ASAN, visit the group’s Web site at www.asanonline.org or call 256-751-3925 in Huntsville.
http://www.baldwincountynow.com/articles/2009/10/07/local_news/doc4acb9e12ce563549644998.txt
FAIRHOPE, Ala. — Ten years ago, Hardwick, a town of 8,000 people in Vermont, was in a state of economic decline.
Jim Allen, one of the founders of the Alabama Sustainable Agriculture Network, spoke to Fairhope residents last week about strategies for creating a “local, sustainable and just food system.” Photo courtesy of Local Food Production Initiative.
*
The town’s fortunes began to change when several local farmers and others founded a nonprofit group to encourage development of an agriculture-based local economy, said Jim Allen, of the Alabama Sustainable Agriculture Network, who spoke last week to members of the Local Food Production Initiative, a Fairhope nonprofit organization.
“A local farmer changed from traditional farming to organic farming, then opened an organic seed company and encouraged other local farmers to switch to organic,” said Ed Lawrence, one of the founders of LFPI, about Allen’s remarks at the Sept. 28 meeting on the Vermont town’s economic turnaround. “The local farmers market became very successful, restaurants serving locally grown and processed food opened, and victory gardens were started.”
As a result of the emphasis on local food production and processing, household income levels increased, as did the number of jobs in the area, by 100, according to Allen. Conde Nast and Gourmet magazine described Hardwick as “The Town that Food Saved,” and called Hardwick the most important “food town” in America, Allen told the Fairhope group.
“His talk was about how growing more of our food locally could benefit our health, while at the same time increase the likelihood that our children, grandchildren and generations yet to come will enjoy a good quality of life as well,” Lawrence said. “And growing more of our food locally will also be a stimulus to our local economy.”
The Fairhope-based LFPI has worked the past year to educate its members and the public about such opportunities, which have included efforts to establish a community garden in the downtown area.
In addition to Hardwick, Allen pointed to other success stories, including Birmingham, with a community garden downtown and several other local sustainable agricultural initiatives.
“It is important to talk not only about local food production, but a local food system as well, such as the processing, marketing and consumption of local food,” Lawrence said. “Birmingham and many other communities have started Local Food Policy Councils, that is, nonprofit groups that work for change at the local, state and federal level to encourage policies that allow small local (and more organic) producers to compete more effectively with traditional agribusiness production, processing and distribution.”
In Fairhope, two new opportunities for purchasing locally grown food have started in the past week. The Windmill Market opened its doors this past weekend and the city-sponsored Fall Outdoor Market begins its Thursday farmers market behind the public library tomorrow. The city market will return weekly through Nov. 12. The private Windmill Market is open on weekends and features a variety of arts and crafts in addition to locally grown food.
In November, the ASAN will sponsor a “Food Summit” in Birmingham, featuring keynote speaker, Tom Stearns, one of the farmer-leaders who helped launch the effort to use local food production as a tool for economic development in Hardwick, Lawrence said.
ASAN is a network of farmers, consumers, and agriculture-related organizations, all committed to promoting sustainable agriculture in Alabama, according to the group’s Web site. For more information about ASAN, visit the group’s Web site at www.asanonline.org or call 256-751-3925 in Huntsville.
http://www.baldwincountynow.com/articles/2009/10/07/local_news/doc4acb9e12ce563549644998.txt